This invention relates to an alignment device, and more particularly, to a device useful in constructing sheets or panels of pregrouted ceramic tiles.
In the past, the installation of ceramic tiles, for example, in the bathrooms or kitchens of conventional dwelling structures, was a time-consuming and expensive procedure. Each tile was individually set in grout mixed at the job site. Where plumbing fixtures extended through the area being tiled, each individual tile was cut and fit into place, a further time consuming procedure. In addition, setting tile and laying up masonary conventionally has been accomplished with cement mortars. Conventional mortars require prolonged periods to set properly. If water loss is too great with conventional mortars, the curing action is incomplete and the mortar is soft and chalky. These setting methods entail substantial materials and considerable labor for mixing and placing the mortar and placing the tiles.
More recently, systems have been developed which permit the installation of sheets or panels of pregrouted tiles. The pregrouted panels comprise a plurality of individual 4 .times. 4 inch tiles which are bonded to one another by a suitable adhesive grout. The panels are applied to a substrate, for example, gypsum wallboard, by using a suitable emulsion type adhesive. This type of construction method is particularly well adapted for gypsum wallboard substrates because water retention in the mortar no longer is a factor. Installation is simplified because single cuts are made in the tile panels for plumbing fixtures, for example, and the panels may be placed over the plumbing connections during panel installation.
A number of prior art systems are known for constructing pregrouted sheets or tile panels. For example, the U.S. Pat. to Fitzgerald, No. 3,239,981, issued Mar. 15, 1969, the U.S. Pat. to Watson, No. 3,291,676, issued Dec. 13, 1966, and the U.S. Pat. to Johnson, No. 3,359,354, issued Dec. 19, 1967, disclose particular methods for producing tile panels and illustrate various forms of prior art tile boards useful in the construction of the tile panels.
While these prior art devices and methods work well for their intended purpose, they present certain serious handicaps to an independent producer of tile panels. For example, the prior art in general discloses complicated methods and machinery for producing the panels. Generally, speaking, the methods and machinery also are intended to be utilized only with one manufacturer's ceramic tile. The invention disclosed hereinafter eliminates these prior art deficiencies by providing a low cost method and apparatus for producing tile panels. Because of its unique but simplified design, the tile board disclosed hereinafter is compatible with the ceramic tile produced by a variety of manufacturers.
One of the objects of this invention is to provide a low cost device for assembling sheets or panels of ceramic tile.
Another object of this invention is to provide a low cost method for producing pregrouted sheets of ceramic tile.
Another object of this invention is to provide a tile board useful in the construction of pregrouted ceramic tile sheets that is compatible with any one of the variety of different sizes or designs found in commercially available ceramic tiles.
Another object of this invention is to provide a tile board having a movable edge and means for manipulating the movable edge, the manipulating means also functioning cam fashion to guide the movable edge.
Other objects of this invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art in light of the following description and accompanying drawings.